Boy band behemoth Seventeen has made history at the Glastonbury Festival, by becoming the first K-pop group to play the main Pyramid Stage.
Pouring onto the stage on Friday afternoon, the 13-piece group delivered an hour of precision choreography and sticky pop melodies to an audience of diehard fans and curious onlookers.
"We are just extremely honored to be here," they said.
"Even though the language, country, and culture are all different, we can still connect as one, through music."
Seventeen was the biggest-selling group in the world last year, shifting more than 10 million albums - but they only scored their first Top 40 single in the UK last month.
Mindful of that, they put together a setlist that focused on their most immediate and accessible songs.
They opened with their big hit, Maestro, which mixes beyond vocals and fast-paced rapping with choppy piano riffs and unexpected rhythmical switch-ups.
It was one of their most ambitious tracks - but it was songs with guitar riffs and easily chanted English lyrics that fared best - among them, the rap-heavy track Lalali, the rocky 2 Minus 1, and the sing-along anthem Hot.
"Have you heard of Seventeen before," asked Seungkwan at one point.
"So many members, right?" added his bandmate, Hoshi.
The clever staging allowed all 13 members to shine. The group splits into smaller "sub-units" based on their rap, vocal, and dancing prowess - with each given a solo spot.
Seungkwan and Hoshi were the most exuberant, riling up the crowd during and between songs, while Woozi's airy vocals were juxtaposed with Vernon and Joshua's more soulful tones.
Even so, the Glastonbury audience seemed skeptical at first,
The field in front of the Pyramid Stage cleared out after packed sets by Squeeze and Olivia Dean earlier in the day, and there were large patches of empty space as Seventeen launched into their first track, Maestro.
But over an hour, doubts were dispelled as the band worked hard to get the audience on the side - racing onto the wings of the stage, and descending into the crowd to whip up enthusiasm.
It culminated with the brilliantly daft disco-dance anthem Very Nice - which had a half dozen false endings, the energy building every time the group launched back into another chorus.
The show was a sign of K-pop's growing chart dominance. Four of the top 10 best-selling acts in the world last year hailed from South Korea, with Seventeen joined by Stray Kids, TomorrowxTogether, and New Jeans.
The band certainly seemed relaxed, despite the significance of the moment - occasionally breaking out their precision-tooled choreography to interact with fans and throw heart signs into the air.
"Thank you so much for inviting us," said Joshua. "We're Seventeen. Remember that."
Their fans will never forget.
No comments:
Post a Comment